


Anniversary

by Pippyville



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Accidental Kissing, BUT ONLY ONCE, Canonical Character Death, Crying, Drinking to Cope, Drunken Flirting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hugs, Knockout misses Breakdown, Not Beta Read, Other, Post-Predacons Rising (Prime Movie), Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:14:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25831888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pippyville/pseuds/Pippyville
Summary: It's Breakdown and Knockout's anniversary, and Knockout's sad. Bulkhead comes to the rescue.Post Predacons Rising.
Relationships: Breakdown/Knock Out
Comments: 11
Kudos: 60





	Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This was inspired by blitzy-blitzwing's comic and comic idea on Tumblr. Go check them out, their art is great!  
> I hope you enjoy!

Bulkhead wandered down the Nemesis's hallways, noticing how quiet it was. He still wasn’t used to being inside of it without the fear of being attacked, but it was nice. He entered his room (again, weird.) and sat down on his berth.

He grabbed a data pad and opened it up. Miko had given him a bunch of music to listen to while he had been on earth. He pressed the play button and turned the volume up. In the middle of the rock and roll music were a few Japanese lullabies as well. He liked those.

He rested his helm against the wall as he listened, thinking about their home on Earth. It was strange how one could get so attached to something that they’d only been on for a short time.

His comm fizzled, “Bulkhead, can you go check on Knockout for me?”

“Oh, hey Ratchet.” Bulkhead frowned, “Wait, why Knockout?”

“He was acting strange when we were in the lab together. It might be normal, but I’d like to check just in case. I have my servos full right now.” Ratchet responded. “He said he was going to his room.”

“Uh...yeah, I’ll check on him.”

“Thank you.” As the comm died, Bulkhead turned off the music. He put the pad on the table and exited the room.

Bulkhead nearly ran right into Knockout on his way to the medic’s room. He turned a corner and suddenly Knockout was in front of him. He sidestepped the red bot, “Oh, sorry about that!” 

Knockout hummed, nearly tripping over himself. Bulkhead grabbed his arm, “Whoa, you okay there?”

“Hm?” Knockout looked up as he righted himself, albeit wobbly. “Breakdown?”

“Uh-” Bulkhead started, but was cut off when Knockout crashed into him, hugging him as tightly as he could. “Wha-Knockout?”

“Where were yooou?” Knockout asked, his words slurring together. “I was..was lookin’ for ya.”

Bulkhead frowned, noticing how Knockout’s optics were unfocused. “Doc, what happened to you?”

“Had a little-” Knockout’s systems hiccuped and he grinned, “Little high-grade...It’s our anniversary, you know!”

“Knockout, hey.” Bulkhead kneeled down a little to look him in the optics. 

Knockout tilted his head. “We’re back...on C-Cyybertron. You wanted to b-bond, remember? When we got back? Well...we’re ba-ack!” 

Bulkhead knew he wouldn’t be able to convince Knockout that he wasn't Breakdown, Knockout was too drunk on high grade to understand. So he humored him, “Well, we don’t wanna bond with you being too frazzled to remember it, do we?”

“Ah...gud point.” Knockout dragged a sharp digit gently down Bulkhead’s armor, “hm...yer pretty, Breakdown. Gotta new paint job? I like da green.” he smiled bright.

“Yeah. Yeah, new paint job.” Bulkhead felt his spark clench in pity for the medic. “Hey, why don’t we go to your room, maybe get some sleep.”

“We gotta...gotta party or something...ya think ol’ Starscream’ll let us use...uh…” he frowned, “What was I saying? Gotta do something for our...anniversary.”

“Knockout, let’s go to berth okay?” Bulkhead detached the medic’s servos from him.

Knockout giggled, “Oh? Wanna…?”

“No.” Bulkhead shook his head, “Just sleep.”

Knockout hummed and pressed his faceplates against Bulkhead’s chest. “Okay. Gonna sleep now.”

“Doc, come on. Let’s go to your room.” Bulkhead helped Knockout stand upright. As they walked along the hallway, Knockout insisted on holding servos, earning a strange look from one of the vehicons. 

Halfway there Knockout’s legs gave out and he stumbled. Bulkhead caught him and picked him up in a bridal carry. “You okay?”

Knockout nodded and snuggled up against his chest. “Good good.”

Bulkhead awkwardly carried him the rest of the way to Knockout’s room and adjusted the medic so he could open the door. The inside of the room matched Bulkhead’s, with a few more personal touches. 

He lay Knockout on the berth and had a hard time detaching the red bot from his chest. Knockout whined when Bulkhead stood, “No. Sleep with me.”

“Knockout-”

“Please?” Knockout imitated Miko’s puppy-eye look perfectly.

“I’ll sit with you, but I’m not tired.” Bulkhead sighed, sitting on the edge of the berth. “You gotta sleep though, promise?”

“M hm. I promise.” Knockout took Bulkhead’s servo again. “Good. Stay.”

Bulkhead patted the bot on the shoulder and was surprised when Knockout surged up and pressed his lip plates against his own. Knockout held his helm there for a moment, and a shocked Bulkhead could do nothing but let it happen. It was only a few seconds long, but for Bulkhead it felt much longer. It wasn’t a good thing.

Knockout grinned, “you look shocked.” he mumbled, laying back down, “You’re a bad kisser.”

Bulkhead pressed his lips together, feeling his optic’s brim with coolant. He knew he shouldn’t care for Knockout this much, he’d only come to their side a year ago and yet...he did. He squeezed Knockout’s servo as the medic started to lull into recharge.

“Night.” he whispered.

Knockout hummed in reply, before his vents evened and he closed his optics. Bulkhead looked around the room, trying to distract himself. 

Knockout’s room was extremely Knockout. He had quite a few things from Earth, including a bumper from some kind of sports car, a license plate, and a small bucket of toy cars like the ones Raf would play with. Where he got them, Bulkhead couldn’t fathom. His painting and waxing supplies were on the desk, which was littered with data pads. 

On the little table next to the berth was a picture of Knockout and Breakdown. Knockout was kissing Breakdown’s cheek plates as Breakdown laughed, and Bulkhead could see Starscream’s wing in the corner. 

It was a nice picture, not anything Bulkhead would expect from an ex-Decepticon. It made him glance down at the sleeping bot on the bed, and he felt a great swell of grief for the bot that had been his rival.

He and Breakdown probably could have learned to get along. He would have at least avoided fighting him if he had still been alive today. For Knockout’s sake. He knew that they were close, but he hadn’t realized they were conjux close.

_You wanted to b-bond, remember? When we got back? Well...we’re ba-ack_

Bulkhead lay a servo on Knockout’s sleeping form. They were going to bond when they got back to Cybertron. And Breakdown was dead.

For once, Bulkhead could understand Arcee’s all-encompassing hatred of Arachnid. The vile bot was the reason Breakdown was gone. He pushed the hate away, knowing there was nothing he could do. 

He stayed with Knockout for a long while before retiring to his room for the night.

Knockout woke with a splitting helm ache, and he stumbled to the sink in time for his systems to purge the high grade out of his tanks. He wiped his mouth and held his helm in his servos for a moment. 

He shouldn’t have drank so much, he knew he shouldn’t have. But he had too, that day was too painful otherwise. He slowly walked back to his berth and noticed a cube of energon on the table with a note next to it.

_Make sure you drink this, you were pretty out of it last night, so you probably have a hangover. - Bulkhead._

Knockout grimaced. Bulkhead had seen him drunk? Well frag his life. He took the energon cube and slowly sipped it, venting deeply. He put the cube down and checked his internal clock. It was late in the morning, Ratchet would probably chew him out for this.

He sighed and stood up, stretching a little and wincing when a light struck his eyes oddly. He scowled, rubbing his optics and opening the door.

When he entered the common area, Bulkhead and Arcee were already inside, talking. Bulkhead glanced up, “Hey Knockout. How are you doing?”

“Fine, fine.” Knockout waved him off, “thanks for the energon this morning.”

Bulkhead gave him a small smile, “yeah, ‘course.”

“You got wasted last night, didn’t you?” Arcee chuckled, “Why?”

Knockout’s face fell and he stammered, “I-well, uh….”

Bulkhead kicked her under the table and threw a warning glance her way, “Doesn’t matter, does it?”

Arcee frowned, confused. Bulkhead waited until Knockout turned around to whisper, “it’s a personal thing for him, I think.”

Arcee softened, “oh.” she looked up at the red mech and raised her voice “ Ah, ignore me, Knockout. Dumb question”

Knockout shrugged. Arcee bit her lip plates and stood up, “I’m gonna go help Bee fix the...uh..thing.” she gave Knockout a pat on the shoulder as he left.

They sat in awkward silence for a moment before Knockout asked, “Did I do anything stupid last night?”

“Uh...no, not really.” Bulkhead said.

Knockout raised an optic ridge, “You’re a horrible liar.”

“I’m not-”

“Bulkhead, I lived on the same warship as Starscream. I know how to spot a lie when I see one.” Knockout huffed, ”So what did I do?”

“...you mentioned Breakdown.” Bulkhead said after a moment of hesitation.

Knockout’s vents hitched, but he tried to calm it down.“So?”

“...you said you and him were gonna...uh…” Bulkhead swallowed, “You were gonna bond. That it was your anniversary.”

Knockout blinked, putting his helm in his servos. “Frag. you weren’t supposed to know about that.”

“I haven’t told anyone.” Bulkhead promised, standing up, “And I won't. Not ever, not if you don’t want me too.”

Knockout looked up at him, “Did I do anything else? Anything more stupid?”

Bulkhead thought about the kiss. “No.”

“Lie.”

“Nothing happened.”

“Bulkhead.”

“What?”

“Tell me what happened.” Knockout pointed at him, “It’s me, I think I should know.”

“...you may or may not have kissed me.”

Knockout gaped for a moment. “I-What?! No, no, I wouldn’t kiss anyone unless it was Breakdown. I couldn't have-”

“You thought I was Breakdown, Doc.” Bulkhead said, keeping his voice gentle.

Knockout sat down and brought his knees to his chest, “Scrap, scrap, scrap!”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Bulkhead sat down next to him and wrapped his arms around him, “It’s okay. I know what happened, I don’t think it’s a bad thing.” 

Knockout froze as he was embraced, the large servos of the wrecker feeling just like Breakdowns. A sob forced its way out of his voice box and he broke. He felt coolant run down his face as he cried into Bulkhead’s chest, his claws leaving small scratching on the green paint. Bulkhead didn’t mind, he just kept holding him.

He sent a silent prayer to Breakdown in the Well of Allsparks, promising to keep Knockout safe.

**Author's Note:**

> Should I continue this?? I kinda wanna go a Knockout/Bulkhead route, maybe a kinda slow burn. I dunno though, leave your thoughts in the comments.


End file.
